Whats the best way to acclimate a dog (2 yr.old toy fox terrier) to a new baby in the household??
We are getting ready to be new parents in October. We have a small terrier who is very well trained, but has never been around infants, although he does very well with children. We have been trying to get him used to the smell of baby powder/products and when we buy something for the baby, we let him sniff and explore it. Is there anything else we can do? We have already had to get rid of (sending him to live with relatives in Florida) our other dog because he is a big time barker, and very excitable, we don’t want to have to get rid of this one.

Best answer(s):

Answer by rn_mdi guess you’re dong the right thing, letting the dog smell baby products so he can get accustomed to it. try bundling a crying doll in a blanket and carry it around the house, see what his reaction to it is. dont be scared if he starts barking, it’s just a new sound to him, but eventually he’ll get used to having a baby in the house. dogs are like that.

Answer by flydogsCongrats on being (almost) parents, and kudos for not forgetting about your dog. I think that your dog’s good training will go a very long way towards helping him behave well with your new baby. You can also ease the transition by trying to take him someplace where he can meet people as often as you can. Ask for a sit-stay when he’s meeting people and make the whole experience very positive. I’ve had a great deal of success doing this outside of Safeway, since there’s a lot of new noises and smells and people to say hi to. The idea is to accustom him to all sorts of new things.

You will probably be spending a lot of time on the baby and consequently a bit less on the dog (although you still have a large commitment to his happiness and health), so get him used to this. Teach him that there are fun things to do alone, like solving Kong or Buster Cube treat toys, and that he will have time with you as well. If you don’t already have one, buy your dog a crate and train him to go inside. It will quickly become a quiet place of retreat for him that he can go when he has time alone. Stock it with treat toys, Nylabones, etc.

Hope this helps!

Answer by Dog_trainerSo glad you asked NOW rather than waiting until it was too late! You’ve already done a lot of good things like letting him smell the baby products. Now, start pretending you’ve already HAD the baby. Get one of those dolls that moves and cries. Put baby powder on it, wrap it in a blanket and carry it around. Let the dog sniff it – at first with the sound and movement off. Yes, he’ll know it’s not a real child but it will get him used to the idea. Correct him if he does anything rough, like tugging at the blanket or nipping the doll. Put some peanut butter on the doll’s hand and let the dog gently lick it off. Your child is going to be a walking smorgasbord very soon – better get him used to it now! Teach him to take food very gently from your own hands, so that he doesn’t accidentally nip the baby trying to snatch her cheerios.

Do some extra obedience training now – 15 minutes every day. “Sit” and “stay” and “don’t touch!” are really important. Make sure he gets a good long walk every day.

When the real baby comes, make it a pleasant experience for the dog. While you’re holding the baby, have someone else fuss over the dog and vice versa. This will help prevent jealousy. Keep the dog on a leash (even in the house) until you are confident about his behavior. Make sure you’re all getting plenty of exercise – take long walks with the dog and the baby carriage.

Be vigilant when the baby starts to crawl and walk. That changes the whole relationship. Make sure you don’t allow the toddler to torment the dog – he should have a safe place to go if he wants to be left alone. Many bites are the result of the child hurting the dog first. My personal belief is that NO dog should be left alone with a small child. Ever.

Answer by elaine pi would ask a dog trainer about this so when the baby comes it won’t get jealous of the baby and will be it best friend.

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